Writing For Television: What You Need to Know (four-disc set)

The Writers Guild Foundation presents an all-day series of panel discussions with prominent screenwriters about the art and craft of television writing.

SESSION 1
How will television and the mission of writers change in the new economy? How does the television writer thrive against the challenges of online competition, DVR, cable, and satellite? What are the implications of year round programming? How are smart writers adjusting to the evolution of programming seasons? What will cutting costs mean for writers?

SESSION 2
How do you create a show from the ground up? What are the elements you need to consider? How do you evaluate an idea in terms of what will and won't work? What do you need to think about in terms of the audience and demographics? How do you find the right network and how do you tailor your concept for a specific network? How do you pitch it and to whom? What happens when you sell your pitch?

SESSION 3
Join a group of writers, most of them new and young, as they share their experiences of breaking into the television business. How did they break in? What did they do? How long did it take? What is their advice to other up and coming writers who've yet to be staffed?

SESSION 4
What are the dynamics of a writers' room? How does a writers' room work best? As a staffed writer what are you expected to bring to the room every day? What does a showrunner expect from his/her staff? What should a staff expect from its showrunner? The writing staff from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation hosts a panel to answer these questions.